Well-casing shoe



.1. VON GUNTEN vELL cAsNG SHOE Filed May 31, 1923 Patented Apr. 10, 1928. y

UNITED STATES i1,665,569 PATENT oFFlcE.

JACOB 'VON GUNTEN, OF MASSILLON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO DRILLING COM- IPANY, `OF MASSILLON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WELLACASING SHOE.

Application tiled May 31,

The invention relates to shoes for sinking well casings and the objects of the improvement are to provide a shoe having an external annular shoulder to support the gravel which is usually placed around the well casing and carried down therewith, as it is lowered into the ground; to provide a shoe of this character which is substantiallyk cylindrical externally and conical internal- 1y; and to provide a steam or water lchamber within the shoe communicating at intervals with ports extended through the lower narrow edge of the shoe, the steam or water supply pipe being connected with the cham- 15 ber in the shoe and extended upward upon the outside of the Vcasing within the hole cut by the shoe.

The above and other objects are attained by constructing the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a lon itudinal sectional view through a shoe em dying the invention, showingthe same attached to a casing;

Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the shoe; and v Fig. 3, a sectional view through a shoe embodylng the invention, in which the steam or water is eliminated.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. The well casing which is indicated at 1,

may be of any usual construction, and is preferably perforated as shown. The shoe --36 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with the upward extendin annular flange 3 into which the lower en of the casing is inserted, and attached as by rivets 4 or any other manner, an internal shoulder 5 upon 4o the shoe preferably engaging the lower edge of the casing.

The shoe roper is substantiall cylindrical external y as shown at 6, an is conical internally as shown at 7, tapering downward from the internal shoulder 5 to the narrow lower edge 8.

An external, horizontal, annular shoulder 9 of a substantial width is provided upon the shoe for supporting the gravel indicated at -50 10, which is usually placed around the casing within the hole 11 formed by the sinking of the shoe in the ground. f

This construction is advantageous in that it permits the placing of a tubular wall of gravel around the casing in order that' the 1923. Serial No. 642,409.

same may be carried down therewith b the weight of the avel added to the weig t of the case, as t e casing is forced into the ground. The shoulder keeps the gravel from passing the shoe.

An annular water or steam chamber 12 is formed in the shoe and aA plurality of ports 13 are cast in the shoe or drilled upward from the lower narrow cutting edge 8 into said chamber, so that when water or steam under pressure is supplied to the chamber, a discharge of the same through these ports serves to soften and loosen the earth and facilitates the cutting action of the shoe.

Especially in going through clay forma tions, this hydraulicing action is necessary and desirable as it breaks down the clay walls which would btherwise prevent the downward movement of the shoe and casing. These walls are commonly formed betweenthe outside of the shoe and the outside of the baler ordinari] used to remove.

the earth andA gravel at t e bottom of the hole. By forcln clay walls thus formed are continually broken down and softened, permitting the baler to pick them up and carry them 'to the surface. Also water forced through this shoe will supply water for the baler in going through dry strata. v

A water or steam supply pipe 14 is connected with the chamber 12 at the shoulder 9 and extends upward along the outside of the casing, within the hole` 11 cut by the shoe, to a source of water or steam supply and pressure at the surface of the ground.

By this arrangement, 1t will be seen that water or steam under pressure through t e Ishoe in this manner, the

the softening and loosening of the earthy the -concaved'interior 7*'terminating in the narrow cutting edge 8, a shoulder 9 being formed u on the upper portion of the shoe to hold e gravel as above described.

I claimz-f i 1. A shoe for well casings provided with a Water chamber, ports communicating with the Water chamber and extended through 5 the lower edge of the shoe and a pipe conneeted to the Water chamber and extendedy upward alongside of the casing.

2. A Shoe for Well casings having a narrow lower edge, a substantially horizontal shoulder adapted to support gravel placed around the Well casing, a water chamber within the shoe, ports communicating with the water chamber and extended downward through the lower edge of the shoe, and a pipe communicating with the Water chamber through said shoulder and extended upward along the outside 0f the easing.

JACOB VGN GUNTEN. 

